White leather-board and process of making same.



lUNllTlD @AEg PATENT @FFTGE ALBERT L. CLAPP, 0F MARBLEHEAJD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSTGNOJR, TO THE METALITE COMPANY, 0F AMESBURY. MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

WHITE LEATHER-BOARD AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAME.

Ito Drawing.

ents have necessarily resulted in the production of a colored product, usually of a dark or brown appearance. Such dark colored effect was unobjectionable for many uses and purposes, particularly when used in the manufacture of light colored boots and shoes, building up heels, or the like.

Such prior leatherboard, however, could not be made white, nor whitened in any of the prior processes of manufacture, and it is an object of the present invention to produce a substantially white product of leatherboard and in an economical, expeditious and com mercial manner. One of the important uses of a white leatherboard is in the manufacture of white heels, quite recently popular in shoe manufacture, and my invention con- 30 templates the manufacture of a leatherboard suitable for making heel lifts to be finished white. A peculiar dificulty in the manufacture of such white heelings is that the processes of manufacture and finishing the heel included trimmingand burnishing by high speed machines and therefore. a great liability of damaging the leatherboard', by burning, etc., is present. T have discovered that my white leatherboard product may be made with a suitable admixture which will preserve its whiteness and yet prevent the fibers from burning during such trimming or burnishing in the heel manufacturing steps.

lln carryin out the process of manufacturing my w ite leatherboard, I prefer to employ a considerable amount of white waste paper of any sort or kind, as the prin cipal stock to be beaten intopulp for the white board. To this stock ll add a considerable quantity of asbestos, which is also white and maintains this quality during the pulp heating. The asbeaaos, furthermore, is of special value in preserving the leather- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 27, 1916. Serial No. 94,060.

board fiber from burning when such board is used in heel building, as above explained. I also add a preparation of white leather scraps, or chrome leather shavings and beat this mass into a pulp in an ordinary beater engine in the usual manner, utilizing as much water as is necessary. Tn some instances it may be desired to add a siting compound, although this is not always necessary. However, when the sizing is desired in the leatherboard, T have discovered that a'sea-weed size will not discolor the roduct, whereas ordinary materials, suc as bark, peat, or other organic sizing, would discolor the board and render the same objectionable for use as a white leatherbo'ard. As a suitable charge for a heater, li use approximately 1000 lbs. of white waste paper, substantially 200 lbs. of asbestos fiber and a similar amount,200 lbs.of white leather scraps or chrome shavings, uniting these thoroughly in a heater engine in the usual manner. To the charge thus repared into white pulp, a suitable amount of sea weed sizing may be added when desired, and the pulp thus prepared is then formed into sheets, either by running the same through on a wet machine, cylinder board machine, or may be pressed in a manner well-known in leatherboard manufacture.

The resulting product is a white leatherboard, substantially of uniformly white texture throughout, and of an extremely tough fibrous nature, suitable for use in the manufacture of white heels for boots and shoes, and to withstand the trimming and burnishing operations of high speed heeling machines without danger of injury or burning. Moreover, the white leatherboard manufactured according to my novel process will receive a high degree of olish and finish. The importance of this feature, in the manufacture of white heels for boots and shoes, will be appreciated when it is realized that heretofore white heels were made by covering the entire heel with a thin layer of white leather, by cementing the leather thereto. This process involved great expense, had to be a plied by hand and resulted in an unsatisfactory product, as the cemented covering for the heel easily peeled off, especially if exposed to dpness.

A further feature of my present invention is that, for some purposes, especially rue for the manufacture of white leatherboard for use in making boot and shoe heels, which must be able to withstand the burning incident to trimming, 'burnishing, etc., as above explained, I can substitute French chahc for the asbestos ingredient. In such case a considerably larger amount of French chalk can be employed than the corresponding asbestos and considerably more sizing is required to hold the chalk. I find that in making white leatherboard for boots and shoes in this manner, that simply white paper, French chalk up to as high as 30% of the mass, and from 10 to 15% of sizing can be advantageously employed. ()ne advantage of this formula consists in the cheapness and the fact that a more nearly pure white product may be obtained, whichis often desirable to match the shoe uppers of white kid, cloth, etc.

My invention is further described and defined in the form of claims as follows:

1. As an article of manufacture, white leatherboard comprising a proportion of asbestos fiber.

2. As an article of manufacture, white leatherboard comprising white waste paper, asbestos fiber, and white leather scraps or chrome shavings.

3. As an article of manufacture, white leatherboard comprising white waste paper, asbestos fiber, and white leather scraps or chrome shavings, and a sea-weed sizing.

4. As an article of manufacture, white leatherboard comprising approximately the materials and proportions following, viz: 1000 lbs. of white waste papers. 200 lbs. of asbestos fiber, and 200 lbs. of white leather scraps or chrome shavings.

5. The process of manufacturing white leatherboard, which is characterized by reducing to a pulp a mixture of white waste paper, asbestos, andwhite leather scraps or chrome shavings, and forming said pulp into sheets.

6. The process of manufacturing white leatherboard, which is characterized by reducing to a pulp a mixture of white waste paper, asbestos,'and white leather scraps or chrome shavings; adding thereto and thoroughly intermixing therewith, at some time during the process, a non-coloring sizing; and forming the stock thus obtained into sheets.

7. The process of manufacturing white leatherboard, which is characterized by re ducing to a pulp a mixture of substantially 1000 lbs. of white waste paper, 200 lbs. of asbestos fiber, and 200 lbs. of white leather scraps or chrome shavings, and forming the stock thus obtained into sheets.

8. As an article of 'manufacture, white leatherboard comprising white waste paper, asbestos fiber, and white leather scraps or chrome shavings, all reduced to a finely comminuted state and thoroughly intermixed.

9. As an article of manufacture, white leatherboard comprising white waste paper, asbestos fiber, white leather scraps or chrome shavings and a non-coloring sizing, all reduced to a finely comminuted state and thoroughly intermixed.

10. As an article of manufacture, white leatherboard, comprising white fibrous stock, asbestos, and white leather scraps or chrome shavings, all reduced to a finely eomminuted state and thoroughly intermixed.

11. As an article of manufacture, white leatherboard, comprising white cellulose fibers, asbestos, and white leather scraps or chrome shavings, reduced to a finely comminuted state and thoroughly intermixed.

12. As an article of manufacture, white leatherboard, comprising white fibrous stock, asbestos, white leather scraps or chrome shavings, and a non-coloring sizing, reduced to a finely comminuted state and thoroughly intermixed.

13. The process of manufacturing White leatherboard, which is characterized by reducing to a pulp a mixture of white fibrous.

stock, asbestos, and white leather scraps or chrome shavings; and forming the stock thus obtained into sheets.

14. The process of manufacturing white leatherboard, which is characterized by reducing to a pulp a mixture of white fibrous stock, asbestos, and white leather scraps or chrome shavings; thoroughly inter-mixing with said pulp a suitable non-coloring sizing; and forming the stock thus obtained into sheets.

15. The process of manufacturing White leatherboard, which is characterized by reducing to a pulp a mixture of substantially 1000 lbs. of white waste paper. 200 lbs. of asbestos fiber, 200 lbs. of white leather scraps or chrome shavings, and a quantity of noncoloring sizing; and forming the stock thus obtained into sheets.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ALBERT L. CLAPP.

Witnesses JAMES R. HoDDER, HAROLD J. CLARK. 

